Road form



April 22, 1930. J. N. HELTZEL ROAD FORM Filed May 7. 1927 Patented Apr. 22, 1930 UNITED STATES JOHN 1v. HELY'I'ZEL,

ROAD

Application filed May 7,

5 crease the efficiency and utility thereof.

Another object is the provision of novel means tending to'contract the form member or rail. I

A further object is the provision of a member or means between the upper and lower flanges of a form rail, for'receiving a stake or for joining two rails together-in alinement or both, and connected with the rail in such a manner as to enable the rail to be contracted on said member or means.

A still further object is the provision of a member slidable between the upper and lower flanges of the formrail and connected with said flanges in a manner that when said member is slid longitudinally of the rail there is. a tendency to spring said flanges toward one another to contract the rail and clamp said member tightly in place.

It has been the practice in providing members or means between the upper and lower flanges of form rails to accommodate stakes or for purpose of joining the rails together, to create an expansive action tending to separate the rail flanges and expand the rail, which has the tendency to unbend and distort the rail. With the present arrangement the expansive action is eliminated and the arrangement is such that the rail may be contracted so as to clamp the member or means therein and provide a strong construction, which will also eliminate the tendency to bend the rail flanges apart.

A still further object is the provision of novel means for accommodating a stake to retain the rail in position on the sub-base.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, which will be apparent as the description proceeds, the invention resides in the con- OF WARREN, OHIO FORM 1927. 'Serial No. 189,542.

I Figure 1 is a perspective view of a road form embodying the improvements.

Fig.2 is a cross section on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1..

The form member or rail is of well known construction, being bent from suitable sheet metal stock and having the vertical web 7, base flange 8 with an upturned secondary flange or lip 9, and a tread flange 10 with a de pending secondary flange or lip 11, the tread flange being narrower than the base flange.

The rails are laid end to end, as well known, for defining one side of a concrete road or pavement.

Within one end portion of each rail there is provided a joint member 12, formed from sheet'metal, and having the lower vertical portion 13 overlapping the flange 9 at the inner side thereof, an inwardly inclined portion 14 above the portion 13, and an upper vertical portion 15 overlapping the flange 11 p at the inner side thereof. The member 12 has a head portion 16 extending inwardly from the portion 15 and bearing upwardly against the flange 10 of the rail, said portion 16'havin a depending flange 17 bearing against the web 7. A plate 18 is riveted or otherwise secured to the web 7 and has a portion 19 overlapping the flange 17 to assist in guiding the member 12 for sliding movement longitudinally within the rail. The member 12 has an inwardly extending flange 31 at the lower edge of the portion 13 bearing on the base flange 8 of the rail, and a plate 20 riveted or otherwise secured on the flange 8 has a portion 21 overlapping said flange 31, thereby holding the flanges 8 and 31 together.

The joint member 12 may be slid within the rail so as to be projected from the end thereof to slip into the adjacent end portion of a companion rail, as seen in Fig. 1, to hold the rails in alinement end to end.

In order to contract the rail and bind the member12 therein when said member is slid to projected position, a metal piece 22is riv- V eted or otherwise secured to the inner side of the member 12 and has an outwardly extending finger 23 projecting through a slot 24 in the flange 11, said finger being preferably bent into a hook. The slot 24 is inclined so that when the member 12 is projected, the finger 23 riding upwardly on the lower edge of the slot will, by cam action, spring the flange 10 downwardly, the flanges 8 and 31 of the rail 7 and member 12, respectively, being held together by the plate 20. The rail is therefore contracted and will clamp or bind the member 12 tightly therein, and thus provide a substantial structure. The contraction of the rail is limited by the member 12 which is disposed between the upepr and lower flanges of the rail, so that excessive springing or distortion of the rail is pre vented, which may occur in devices that have a tendency to. expand the rail, inasmuch as the expansion devices may spring or bend the, upper and lower flanges apartto such an extent as to distort the rail. When the member 12 is. slid so as to be retracted, it becomes loosened and may slide freely to retracted position.

The inclined portion 14. of the member 12 has an inwardly pressed pocket 25 having the horizontal bottom portion 26' which is provided with an opening 27 for the downward passage of the stake 28 which is driven in the sub-base for holding the rail in position. The flanges 8 and 31 have slots or openings 30 for the passage of the stake, and said slots are preferably elongated longitudinally so that the stake may pass down in different longitudinal positions of the member 12. The stake 28 has a stop pin 29 at its upper end to limit the downward movement of the stake and to facilitate the withdrawal of the stake.

A member 12 is slidable longitudinally within each rail near that end opposite to the end in which the-member 12 islocated, and the member 12 is similar in construction to the member 12 as indicated by the same ref erence numerals. A metal piece 32 is riveted or otherwise secured to the inner side of the member 12 and has an outwardly extending finger 33 engaging through an inclined slot 34 in a plate 35 welded or otherwise secured to the flange 9. The slot 34 is inclined reversely into the inclination of: the correspondingslot 24, so that when the member 12 is slid toward the corresponding end of the rail, the upper and lower flanges of the rail are sprung toward one another to bind the member 12 tightly between said flanges. A stake 28 is also accommodated by the member 12', so that the rail is staked down on the subbase near each end.

One or more of the members 12 may be used between the ends oi the rail.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is 1. A form rail and means for contracting 2. A form rail and means therein for contracting it.

3. A form rail having flanges and means between the flanges for contracting the rail.

4. A form rail having flanges and means assembled with the rail for springing said flanges toward one another.

5. A form rail and a member slidable therein and assembled wit-h the rail to contract the rail and bind said member therein.

6. A form rail having flanges and a member slidable between said flanges and assembled with said flanges to contract the rail and bind said member between the flanges.

. 'Z. A form rail, a member slidable therein. and means connecting said member and rail so that the sliding movement of the member in one direction contracts the rail to bind said member therein.

8. A form rail having flanges, a member slidable between said flanges, and means connecting said member and flanges so that the movement of said member in one direction springs said flanges toward one another to bind said member'therebetween.

9. A form rail having flanges, amember slid-able longitudinally between said flanges, and sliding connections between said member and flanges, said connections being so arranged as to spring said flanges toward one another by cam action when said member is slid in one direction.

10. A form rail having an inclined slot, and a member slidablr'e in the rail and having aportion working in said slot to bind said member in the rail when slid in one direction.

11. A form rail having a base flange and a tread flange with a depending secondary flange, and a memberslidabl'e between said base and tread flanges and slidably connected with said base flang said secondary flange having an 1ncl1ned slot and said member having a portion working 1n said slot.

12'. A form rall, a member slidable in one end portion thereof to be projected therei from, and means connecting said member and rail to. contract the rail on said member when said member is projected.

18. A form rail having flanges, a member slidable between said flanges to be projected from one end of the rail, and means connecting said member and flanges to spring them toward one another and bind said memher when said member is projected.

14. A form rail, and a member therein A having an inclined portion with an inwardly pressed pocket, the pocket having a bottom portion with av stake receiving opening, and the rail having a stake receiving opening below said opening.

15. A form rail having upper and lower flanges, and a member between said flanges having an inclined portion, providedwith an inwardly pressed pocket, said pockethaving: a bottom portion provided with a stake socket and the lower rail flange having an iso opening below the aforesaid opening to receive the stake.

16. A form rail having upper and lowe! flanges, a member disposed between said flanges and having a lower flange bearing on the lower rail flange and having an inclined portion provided with an inwardly pressed pocket, said pocket having a bottom portion with a stake receiving opening, and said lower flanges of said rail and member having openings to receive the stake.

17. A form rail having upper and lower flanges, and a member disposed between said flanges having a pocket pressed therefrom between its edges and provided with a stakereceiving opening.

18. A form rail having upper and lower flanges, and a member disposed between said flanges having an inclined portion provided with a pocket pressed therefrom between its edges and provided with a stake receiving opening.

19. A form rail having upper and lower flanges, and a member disposed between said flanges and having an inclined portion with a pocket pressed therefrom and forming a horizontal portion having a stake receiving opening.

20. A form rail having upper and lower flanges, and a member disposed between said flanges and having an inclinedportion with an inwardly pressed pocket having a stake receiving opening, the lower flange having an opening below the aforesaid opening.

In testimony whereof I hereunto aflix my signature.

J. N. HELTZEL. 

